Rebirth
by Shadow Wolf 359
Summary: 2007 movieverse. After Mission City, people start to go missing. The Autobots and the US government suspect the Decepticons, but not the reason why. Starscream is out to save their race, and will use any means necessary - even if it involves fleshlings.
1. Missing Persons

Title: Rebirth

Chapter One: Missing Persons

* * *

Summary: Several months after the battle of Mission City, people start to go missing… What does Starscream have to do with it?

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers or anything to do with the movie. Original characters are all mine though.

* * *

"Wow…" Sam Witwicky murmured under his breath as he, Bumblebee, and Mikaela returned to the Hoover Dam to check out the Autobots' new living area. 'Bee had explained on the way there that this was very much a temporary solution as to their living arrangements. A slight shudder from the yellow Camero had been enough to tell the teenagers just how discomfited the Autobot was with the thought of living in the place he had once been captured and tortured.

The platforms that had surrounded Megatron and the All Spark had been torn down, the liquid nitrogen ice-hoses disassembled and removed. Most of the human equipment had been taken out, and some sparse Autobot-sized furniture and other arrangements were in place. Ratchet had taken Megatron's room and made it into a medbay. He'd wanted to take the room that had formerly housed the All Spark, but the size of the room in comparison to the others was ridiculously large, and Optimus said it would be more suitable as their main living area than the possessive medic's medbay. Ratchet tried to argue that any lingering traces of the All Spark in the room might greatly assist in any repairs, to which Optimus replied that if lingering traces of the All Spark _were_ in the room, the benefit it might cause having it open to all the Autobots could well mean less patients for Ratchet, and therefore less stress to the cranky old medic.

In reply to that, the medic had apparently lifted his brow plates, looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled and replied that in such a case, there shouldn't be _any _less-than-optimal scans on their next checkups, or he shall be very cross indeed.

The rest of the Autobots had damn near _tiptoed_ around the base after that, afraid of so much as pulling a wire or twisting a joint out of place.

The most impressive thing the Autobots had installed was a massive computer with an equally massive screen. It served many functions, most of which involved communicating with others of their kind, and the occasional contact with the Sec Def. Holding the teenagers in his palm, 'Bee approached Optimus as he stood facing the screen, curiously peeking around his shoulder to listen in.

"I know this must sound trivial and beneath your notice, Prime…" Keller was saying, his gaze flicking to the approaching 'bot and the teenagers, sending them a nod of greeting before looking back to Optimus.

"Not at all, Mr. Keller," Optimus replied with a slight wave of his hand. "I understand and agree with your suspicions. It may well be Decepticon activity, but what they would want with humans is anyone's guess."

"Say what now?" Sam piped up curiously.

Optimus turned his head to regard the three. "Many humans have been going missing in Mission City. Numbers estimated to be nearly one hundred now. There is no evidence, no warning, and no relation between the people. There is only one suspicion that stands out, and that has been the occasional report of the sound of an aircraft in the area. We suspect Starscream."

"Starscream's back?" Mikaela winced. "When did he return?"

Optimus sighed. "We're not sure if it is him or not. One of the functions of this computer is to track incoming and outgoing Cybertronian signatures, but if he returned before the program was completed, that would explain why… And if Starscream has returned, he is likely to have brought more Decepticons with him."

"But there haven't been any further reports of strange meteors," Keller mused. "Will _all_ of your kind crash into the planet that way, or is there a way to avoid that?"

"It's possible the fliers such as Starscream will not have to," Optimus nodded. "The possibilities behind that notion worry me… If Starscream found his wingmates Thundercracker and Skywarp we could be in trouble… But if that is the case, I would have expected an assault long before now. Along with Barricade, that would make us even in number... But if they picked up Scorponok in Quatar, then they would outnumber us."

Keller frowned deeply. "How long until more of the Autobots come?"

"I don't know…" Optimus sighed. "The signal is still out there. We just have to wait. In the meantime…" Turning back toward the small scout at his side, "Bumblebee, I will have to ask you to step back from your duties as Sam's guardian for a short while. We need the situation with the missing humans looked into, and as our scout, that would fall to you. I will have Ironhide take over Sam's guardianship for the time being."

Bumblebee straightened up and saluted Optimus with an affirmative chirp. His vocal processors were still not completely healed. He could speak when the occasion called for it, but it got painful after just a short time. Besides, media clips worked just as well for communicating as anything else. Setting Sam and Mikaela down, he clipped, "_See you later, alligator!"_ and headed out of the base at a light jog.

Mikaela and Sam looked at each other for a moment. "So…" Sam slung his arm around her shoulders and gave her a mock-serious stare. "How long do you think until Ironhide destroys something at my parents' house?"

Keller was hard-pressed not to laugh as he spotted the aforementioned mech passing by in the background, whose head whipped around and focused right on the two teens that were blissfully unaware of his presence.

"Oh, I don't know," Mikaela snickered. "I think you might have to worry about Mojo's safety more than your mom's garden or your dad's path."

"I give it two hours before they start screaming at him," Sam countered with a grin.

"Ah… Sam?" Optimus murmured, but it was too late. Both teens jumped as they heard Ironhide's deep, rumbling voice towering over them.

"So. The two of you believe I will cause destruction at Sam's parental units' residence?" The bulky black mech placed his fists on his hips, glaring down at the two who turned around with nervous expressions, clinging to each other in a state of near-terror. "Need I remind you that it was _Ratchet_ who ran into the power cables and caused the blackout, and _Prime_ who destroyed the path, the garden, and the fountain?"

Optimus muttered something, sending a sheepish glance toward the highly amused Secretary of Defense as the teens shifted under Ironhide's scrutiny. "Okay okay, I get it," Sam tried to placate the weapons specialist as he held out his hands in surrender. "Just out of curiosity though, Optimus…" Turning back to the Autobot leader, he sent him a slightly pleading look. "Exactly how long will Bumblebee be away?"

"As long as it takes, unless he is called back for an emergency," Optimus shrugged.

Mikaela put her head in her hand. "This is going to be interesting," she sighed.


	2. Alien Abductions

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Two: Alien Abduction

* * *

Crouched delicately on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, crimson optics scanned the city streets of Mission City. Faceplates twisting into a frown, the massive figure let out a low growl from deep within his chest. The humans had set a curfew in this city, forbidding the residents out of doors after dark due to the sheer number of people being kidnapped.

It made things annoyingly complicated.

The city was quiet, save for the occasional law enforcement vehicle patrolling for stragglers and announcing into their primitive broadcast system the warning to stay indoors.

A few blocks away, Starscream's sensitive audits picked up the sound of an argument clearly taking place out of doors. Using the clear, moonless night to his advantage, he made his way closer to the sound, carefully treading over rooftops that groaned under his weight. Finally he reached a vantage point where he could view the argument. Below, he saw a police vehicle parked in front of what the World Wide Web identified as a nightclub called Sexual Nonconformity. Starscream reset his optics in surprise as the information he gathered from the club showed it to be a place where humans went to indulge in dancing and watching dancers to a theme of bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism in a sexual setting.

How… fascinating.

The law enforcement officer was speaking to one of the strangest humans Starscream had ever seen. The human was four feet and eleven inches tall, of obviously Asian heritage. Its hair was dyed blonde at the ends and stuck up haphazardly. It was wearing a frilly, lacy black and red dress (a style of human clothing he'd only seen on the femmes of the species thus far), but spoke with a voice that seemed quite male. Its face was painted white, its lips deep red, but what intrigued Starscream were its optics. Even in the light of the streetlamp overhead, the human's optics were black as Pit.

"How long is this damned curfew supposed to continue? I have a business to run, and many of my employees are starving college students that _need_ this job!"

"I'm sorry sir.. ma'am.." The police officer obviously wasn't quite sure how to properly address the little human in front of him. "But this is the way it has to be. How would you like one of your employees to disappear on the way to or from this establishment?"

"And if they're evicted from their apartments because they can't keep up the rent?!" The little human paced animatedly, using its gloved hands a lot in speaking with elegant, graceful movements. "Then what? Where will they go then?"

"I'm sorry, but this is the way it has to be for now," the officer growled, understanding but frustrated with the rule himself. "Please. I don't want to ask you again… Close your doors until further notice, or change your hours until the curfew is lifted. I don't want to have to shut you down."

The small human placed one hand on its hip as the other hand cupped its forehead in exasperation. "Very well… I'll figure something out. But I will be expecting compensation for my losses."

Sighing, the officer headed back to his car. "So are a lot of people."

Starscream watched with interest as the patrol car took off, and the strange-looking human turned to stare at the glowing neon lights of its club, one hand still placed on its hip.

The little human barely had time to do more than gasp as it was picked up swiftly in a massive clawed hand and a small burst of chloroform from a tube in his palm sent the creature into a quick stasis.

~*~*~

_Oh… Well isn't this an unpleasant situation…_

There was just something about waking up in a strange place cold and naked that generally led to a bad situation in Nicodemus's experience. It usually involved copious amounts of booze, which he didn't usually indulge in much… But considering he couldn't remember what exactly led to this situation worried him slightly.

_Wait a moment… Wasn't I arguing with that officer about… Oh no. Ohh no. You must be kidding me._

The blindingly bright light wasn't really helping with his ability to open his eyes and take in his surroundings. Squinting, Nicodemus slowly sat up and struggled to make his blurry eyes adjust.

What he saw at that moment made him wonder if he'd ingested some hallucinogenic drug of some sort.

He was in a cage. Steel walls on three sides, a barred wall in front. Rising to his feet, he slowly approached the bars and tried his best to peek out at his surroundings. From the soft cries, groans, and low conversations all around, he could tell there were others in what he could hazard to guess were cages all around his. It felt like he'd shrunk (which was particularly annoying, considering he was already shorter than the average person) because outside the cage stood an immensely large table-like structure, and on it lay some robot easily twenty feet tall (long? It was lying down), but it didn't look like it was active.

"Hello?" Nicodemus called out finally, definitely in need of some answers. "Can someone please explain to me what the Hell is going on?"

"Finally awake?" A male voice from somewhere above him muttered. "Congratulations. You've officially been abducted by an alien life form. How's it feel?"

"Don't be so mean…" replied a young female voice.

Nicodemus snorted incredulously. "Alien abduction? Is _that_ what's been kidnapping all the people? Are you serious?"

"Very," the male voice replied with a sigh. "And not your little green aliens. Giant robot aliens."

"Giant robot aliens," Nicodemus replied slowly. "Uh huh. So am I to assume the robot lying on the table is an alien too?"

"Dunno," the voice replied. "Never seen that one up and walking. I've actually watched the other one build it and several others like it, but they haven't ever gotten up. It's like a fucking Frankenstein's lab in here, and we're the test rats. Though how testing on us helps that thing is beyond me."

"Right…" Nicodemus muttered, rolling his eyes. Alien abductions only happened in movies. Giant alien robots were products of Japanese animations. There was a perfectly logical explanation for all of this, but talking to the psychopath in the cage above him obviously wasn't going to provide any answers.

Unfortunately, at that moment his theories of logical explanations flew out the window as the sound of massive footsteps came closer and all the muttering abruptly ceased. Nicodemus felt his breath stop in his chest and his heart still as a massive… alien… robot… strode into the room.

He nearly fainted when glowing red eyes focused directly on him.

"Designation?" the giant robot growled, and Nicodemus slowly sat down, staring in awe and horror. Faceplates twitched into a frown as Starscream leaned forward and snarled, "_Give me your designation, fleshling. Now._"

"N-nicodemus Tanaka," he whispered breathily, eyes wide. _Oh… Oh Hell._

With a grunt, the massive robot reached over to open the massive iron cage door and reach in. Scrambling backwards away from the sharp-looking claws, Nicodemus gave a small cry as he was scooped up and lifted out of the cage. Small hands clutched at the warm metal hand, squirming and trying to wriggle his way out, but a small shake of the giant's hand had Nicodemus's teeth clicking together sharply and his head snapping back.

"Stop resisting, or I may forget how delicate you squishies are and crush you like an insect," Starscream growled, plopping the suddenly very compliant human down onto the table next to the inactive protoform. "Explain your body makeup."

"….Excuse me?" Nicodemus asked hesitantly, sitting on the cold metal shivering from head to toe. Glancing around, he couldn't help but stare for a moment at the entire wall of the massive room filled with cages containing dozens upon dozens of people.

"Your body composition. Explain it to me. Yours is not like theirs," Starscream huffed impatiently.

It suddenly clicked, and Nicodemus bestowed the alien robot with a strange look. "Hermaphrodite," he explained slowly. "Due to a genetic malformation, I did not develop one specific gender. I am both male and female."

"Fucking _gross_, man," came the muttered curse from one of the cages. Nicodemus bristled slightly as Starscream turned his head to stare toward the cages. Staring for a moment at the one that had spoken, at length he turned back to Nicodemus and continued the questioning.

"Does this genetic malformation impede any vital functions?"

"What?" Nicodemus blinked, making a face. "Of course not." _I'm talking to a giant alien robot,_ he had to remind himself at length, but he was so dazed and disoriented that he couldn't really think what he _should_ be doing in this situation.

"Do you possess any other medical problems? Mental disorders or tumors?"

"N-no… Well… Yes, actually."

"Explain."

Nicodemus shifted slightly. "I do not feel physical pain."

Starscream regarded the human skeptically, and prompted again, "Explain."

Clearing his throat, Nicodemus tried to ignore the glowing crimson eyes seeming to stare straight into his very soul. "Something in my brain interprets physical pain as a pleasurable sensation. I'm sure they have some kind of medical term for it. I just don't know it."

Starscream observed the human for a moment before reaching forward to make a small cut in his arm with a claw. As the creature let out a startled gasp, he ran a bio-scan and observed with intense curiosity how the hormone levels rose and the muscles slightly twitched in pleasure. Satisfied, he inquired once more, "Anything else?"

"No… I don't believe so..."

"Acceptable." With that, Starscream once again picked up the human, but instead of returning him to the cage he'd been in before, he was moved to another cage slightly apart from the others, where a few other humans were caged as well.

As he closed the cage door, Nicodemus scrambled up and ran to the bars. "Wait!" he cried out, prompting the massive robot to turn and look back at him inquisitively. "What are you going to do with us?"

He didn't like the sinister, purring chuckle that came from the robot. "You'll soon see, fleshling."


	3. Mad Scientist

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Three: Mad Scientist

Music: Within Temptation – "Angels"

* * *

Time had little meaning here, in this cold metal laboratory. There was no way to determine day or night here. The lights were always on.

He was working on the other robot again.

Wrapping her arms around her knees, the young brunette sat curled in the front corner of her cage, watching the large creature work. She didn't know the first thing about mechanics, but she found the creature's knowledge of the inner workings of the other one fascinating. Thousands of wires and tubes, multitudes of gears and hydraulics, and yet he never hesitated in his work. The only thing it seemed he could not do was give it life.

The alien itself was a fearsome creature. Hellish red eyes smoldered from a face full of sharp, jagged edges and a mouth full of pointed teeth. He was very broad-shouldered… Kind of triangular in shape. She'd heard one of the other prisoners murmur something about how he seemed to be made up of parts of an F22 fighter jet. She had no idea what that would mean, though, and neither did the others. There were musings of experimental aircraft or technology having escaped Governmental control, but it was finally decided that there was simply no way the creature before them could have been made by human hands. It had to be alien.

She winced as her stomach growled again. They had been provided with water, but no food had been offered yet, and she was feeling faintly dizzy from hunger. To keep her mind off the pain in her stomach, she began to sing softly. There was simply no other way to distract herself from the pain.

"_Sparkling angel_

_I believe_

_You are my savior_

_In my time of need_

_Blinded by faith_

_I couldn't hear_

_All of the whispers_

_The warnings so clear_

_I see the angels_

_I'll lead them to your door_

_There's no escape now_

_No mercy no more_

_No remorse 'cause I still remember_

_The smile when you tore me apart_

_You took my heart_

_Deceived me right from the start_

_You showed me dreams_

_I wish they'd turn into real_

_You broke the promise_

_And made me realize_

_It was all just a lie…_"

Her eyes only barely creaked open, but that was enough to make her voice die in her throat. The monster was _there_, outside her cage, staring in at her intently. Because she was sitting at the front next to the bars, he was less than five feet away from her. With a small, terrified squeal she recoiled from the bars and staggered to her feet, arms held tightly to her naked chest with her fists stuffed beneath her chin.

He was still scrutinizing her, nonplussed by her quaking form. The information he'd gathered from her was readily available to his data processors. _Designation: Kaley Lane. Height: Five feet one inch. Weight: One hundred and forty pounds. Health: Marginally overweight for body type; second-hand smoke damage to lungs. Mental diagnosis: Hormonal imbalance associated with human medical disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder._

"What was that?" Starscream finally asked, folding his arms and tilting his head to one side.

Kaley's blue-green eyes darted around, swallowing the lump in her throat. "…Singing… I was doing it to distract myself from the hunger… I'm sorry if it upset you, sir…"

Starscream smirked at the respectful title the squishy bestowed him. "Since you seem to be well aware of your place on the hierarchy, I will let it pass." Turning back to his work, he delved back inside the protoform's open chest cavity.

She watched him work for a while before slowly approaching the bars once again. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she asked softly, "…Sir? What are you doing?"

"Experimenting," the mech replied blandly. "Nothing a primitive fleshling like you would understand."

"You've been creating… other robots like yourself? But how do we factor into that?" Hoping she wasn't overstepping her bounds, she winced and continued, "We've been here for how many days, and you've yet to do anything with us…"

Starscream glanced over his shoulder at her, a bemused smirk on his faceplates. "Curious little squishy, aren't you?" Finishing whatever it was he was doing in the protoform's chest, he drew his claws out and turned toward her. "Your participation will begin factoring into my experiments very soon, fleshling. I appreciate subservience. Therefore, my first experiments will not involve you." Turning to one of the other cages, he took a brief mental assessment of the humans in his care before reaching in and plucking out one of the middle-aged males, who immediately started kicking and screaming in his grasp. A brief blast of chloroform later and the man's limp, unresponsive form was rinsed off in steaming water at a sink-like area.

Kaley watched with a growing sense of apprehension as the man was brought to the table with the protoform. Placed face-down beside the unresponsive robot, Starscream's clawed hand shifted into a multitude of strange-looking tools, with which he began to carefully cut from the back of the man's neck all the way down his spine. A little glowing needle next to the knife-like protrusion burned the skin to stop the blood flow, and soon the man's entire spine from his skull to his tailbone was exposed.

Distantly Kaley became aware that there were people screaming, but it seemed as if she were staring out of a different pair of eyes. Her mind just went numb to what was happening to her fellow human, her deep blue-green eyes glazed over. _Just like watching a movie,_ she told herself. _It's not real. It's not real. It's not real._

Starscream ignored the screaming of the fleshlings behind him as he removed wires from the protoform's chest, inserting them carefully between the discs along the spine where they fused with the nerves. Once these were inserted between every vertebrae, he peeled away the skin from the man's skull until the entire top and sides of the skull were exposed. A small, thin bone saw carefully carved away most of the top and back of the skull, delicately removed to display the brain beneath. The thin membrane over the brain was cut away, and more wires were taken from the protoform's chest and carefully attached to key points in the human's brain.

Taking a moment to check the human's vital signs, Starscream took the removed portion of skull and drilled small holes in it corresponding to where the wires were inserted. Removing the wires from inside the protoform, he slid them through the skull cap and carefully replaced it, using a strong adhesive to weld the skull pieces back together. The same followed with the skin, carefully folding it all back over, leaving gaps for the wires now reattached within the protoform.

Delicately picking up the human, Starscream carefully placed him inside the specially-crafted chamber within the protoform's chest and closed it. There was a hissing noise as the chamber sealed, and purified oxygen began circulating through it. Standing back, he waited for the chloroform to wear off, eager to see what his experimentations would yield.

Kaley watched, dumbfounded. _What is he…Why would he… Is that how he intends to make the robots move…? How would that even…_Sinking down to the floor of her cage, she heard the coughing, retching, crying, and screaming of her fellow prisoners, but she herself could do nothing but stare.

Something caught her attention, and she drew her gaze lower to the unmoving silver robot's hand.

It was twitching.

* * *

A/N: Well guys, I already have the next several chapters of the story written, but I'd like to hear some feedback before I post anything else. I love reviews, I appreciate constructive criticism, but please be gentle. Much of this was written about a year and a half ago... I've only just started posting things again on the site. Also, sorry for the song clip... It might be a little corny, but I just felt the lyrics tied in with the story well enough that I wanted to share.


	4. Adaptability

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Four: Adaptability

* * *

Starscream threw back his head and screamed in rage, baring his teeth in a snarl as he drove his clawed hand into the seizing mech's chest and ripped out the modified chamber, throwing it against the wall. It hit with a crash, and as it fell to the floor, crimson blood began to seep from the mangled metal.

Such outbursts no longer really phased the slowly dwindling occupants of the cage, aside from the wince at the screeching howl of the robot. They were becoming desensitized to the alien's experiments, knowing it would soon happen to them, but being helpless to do anything about it. The latches on the iron doors were far too heavy for a single human to move, and there was no room to squeeze through the bars.

As the weeks went on, Starscream had been forced to make a few outings to acquire food for the fleshlings, and occasionally clean up the waste they left behind (a task done with a lot of disgruntled comments from the alien about disgusting squishy waste products). Thus far, his experiments had been met with a 98% failure rate. Fifty humans he had attempted to fuse within the protoform shells he'd made, and thus far only one had survived to an acceptable degree of functionality.

Said survivor was watching him with half-shuttered violet optics, strapped to one wall until Starscream could be sure the fleshy-turned-mech would be completely subservient. The protoform was as tall as Starscream, but would remain lanky and unarmored until he figured out how to access his scanners and work his transformation cogs. Over the past several days, it had learned to speak and access many of its basic functions. The ability to function on a mech like Starscream's level was simple enough… Everything was programmed in there. The protoform simply had to learn how to do it. He was essentially a sparkling.

The problem now was figuring out why this one had survived and all the others had not… And to pick a new designation for the mech. The human name Kavick Takahashi simply would not do for a mech under Starscream's command. Walking away from the now-still body of the protoform, Starscream approached the new mech and stared straight into those gleaming violet optics.

_Just like Sideways' optics,_ he thought to himself with a growl. Hopefully this one would not also turn out to be as traitorous and two-faced as that particular mech. Oh, he could understand and fully appreciate joining a faction and gaining their trust before completely screwing them over… Especially when he did it to the Autobots… But he'd done the same to Decepticons and there simply wasn't any trusting that mech (not that he was _really_ one to talk).

Though the sparkling mech knew how to access his vocal processors, he did not speak much. He was still learning how to shift his facial plates into various expressions, but in front of Starscream he was blank. Reaching up with a clawed hand, Starscream cupped the mech's chin in his palm and delicately placed his talons beneath the mech's violet eyes. "What makes you different?" Starscream growled softly. "Why did you survive, when all others fail?" He stared into the unmoving mech's face, as if searching for an answer within the amethyst optics of the other, before hissing a sigh through his vents and releasing the mech's chin.

As he turned back to the empty protoform husk and began to repair the internal damage, he almost missed the low, static-filled voice that murmured behind him, "Adaptability…"

"What?" Starscream turned back to the sparkling. "What did you say?"

"The reason I survived… Maybe it has to do with adaptability." The protoform had no visible mouth to speak of, his face no more than cranium and optics, with two slits where a nose might be. His fingers curled and he shifted briefly in his restraints, rolling his shoulders in their sockets. "You, as far as I know, have always been what you are. We're humans, born in bodies of flesh and blood. Our minds were never meant to comprehend life as a robot."

"Mech," Starscream corrected snappishly. "Not robot. So… You think your adaptability is what keeps you functional? How exactly do you come to that conclusion?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the protoform's head tilted to give Starscream a level stare. "My brain is hooked up to a CPU. I can do things with a thought that I would never have been able to in my lifetime as a human. I can see things I could never have seen before. Most people couldn't handle it. Hell, most of the older generations have problems turning on a computer, much less using it. Many humans go through life keeping to routines and rarely stepping outside their comfort zone. Not many humans know how to adapt to drastic changes. They have their ways and they cling to them fiercely." Clearing his vocal processors, the mech coughed softly as he strained to use the new means of speaking.

"But you don't?" Starscream growled softly, turning back to the mech. "And why is that?"

"I have my own habits and routines, just like anyone else, but in personality I am generally laid back and easy to accept change. It doesn't bother me as much. Granted…" Kavick looked down at himself, narrowing his optics, "This bothers me plenty. I'm a giant fucking… mech," he corrected himself before he could say 'robot'. "But what the hell can I even do about it?" Looking back at Starscream, he shrugged. "If you're going to continue with your experiments, try using the people who have had the quietest reactions to this situation. Those that have talked with you, interacted with you, adapted better to being caged and not rebelling at the slightest command out of terror."

Starscream canted his head thoughtfully. "Very well, sparkling. We'll see if that makes a difference."

Walking back to the cages, he paced slowly in front of the fleshlings he'd separated from the others – those who had qualities he'd have liked to see in mechs (which, granted, was mostly subservience). Finally he stopped in front of the cage housing Nicodemus, who was staring at him with those Pit-blackened eyes.

The staring contest continued for quite some time before Nicodemus slowly rose to his feet and approached the bars of the cage. Placing his small hands against the bars of the cage, he spoke softly, "Do it to me."

Starscream stared at the brazen little human, leaning close to the cage. "You would jump at the opportunity to be my next experiment, considering the colossal failure rate?"

"I'm in no hurry to die," Nicodemus countered, folding his thin arms. "But I don't take well to boredom. We have had nothing to do except wait for you to do something with us, because obviously help is not coming. I'm tired of waiting. Something has to happen, or I'm going to go stark raving mad." Looking past him at the one success in Starscream's experiments, he murmured, "And… I don't think I would mind being something like you at all."

Smirking, Starscream turned away and approached the empty shell on the table. "Very well, squishy. I will make some modifications to your potential body, and we will proceed from there."

As he began work, Nicodemus's eyes narrowed, smirking. "I can hardly wait…" Turning back to the dark corner of his cage, he didn't notice the intense stare of the sparkling mech chained to the wall opposite of him.


	5. First Steps

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Five: First Steps

* * *

//_Optimus to Bumblebee._//

//_Bumblebee reporting, sir._//

//_Still no progress?_//

//_No, sir._// Bumblebee sighed over the commlink, patrolling through the streets in car mode. He'd had to scan an alternate car form for this assignment, cruising around in the form of a dirty '96 Buick Skylark.

//_Any more abductions?_//

//_Some, but not in relation to the Decepticon kidnappings. There _is_, or has been Decepticon activity here… There are claw marks all over the tops of buildings and occasionally in the side streets._// Pausing for a moment, he added, //_I believe the raids on the human street markets may be linked… Large quantities of food just disappearing overnight? Whatever the Decepticons are doing with these humans, they're trying to keep them alive… So there is still hope._//

//_Carry on, Bumblebee. I will alert Mr. Keller as to your findings. Also, Sam wishes me to tell you he misses you and Ironhide hasn't made a steak out of Mojo yet… Whatever that means._//

Bumblebee quivered in amusement, laughing over the commlink. //_Probably another human expression, Optimus._//

//_Humans have such strange mannerisms…_// Optimus mused, //_But I suppose that is what makes them endearing. Take care, Bumblebee. Optimus out._//

Still quietly laughing to himself, Bumblebee returned to his patrol, scanning the alleyways and abandoned warehouses he came across.

~*~*~

Kaley shifted uncomfortably, making a small keening noise as Starscream injected the probe into one of the nodes on the side of her new body's head. "Stop fidgeting," Starscream muttered, shuttering his crimson optics. "I don't have time to raise sparklings, so this method will just have to do. _This_, right here." Within her consciousness, he pointed out her scanning and transformation programming. "Access it."

"Oh…" She murmured softly, her small silver body holding very still. "Like this..?" A small beam of light shot from her eyes to scan over a car below the building they stood on. She made a startled noise at all the information she suddenly acquired from it. She could feel Starscream's presence within her mind glancing over the information, apparently deeming it an acceptable vehicle mode as he made no objections.

"Now… Access your transformation cogs based on the information you scanned from the vehicle. _Don't_ fight it. Think of it as something as simple as fleshlings changing their clothing." Withdrawing the probe, he folded his arms and looked at her expectantly.

Nodding hesitantly, she shuttered her blue-green optics and accessed the transformation programming. She could suddenly feel her body shifting, warping, _changing_, as it folded down into a sleek black '06 Dodge Intrepid. Letting out a frightened squeal (she hadn't really known what was supposed to happen), her engine revved as she quickly backed up, only to be stopped as she bumped into Starscream's leg.

"Stop that infernal noise immediately!" Starscream snarled at her. "Primus… We need to _not_ attract attention from the fleshling populous, do you understand me?"

Cringing down on her shocks, she meekly whimpered a "Yes, sir…" before accessing the transformation sequence again and rising to her bipedal form. She wasn't immediately aware of the changes, but when she finally did notice them, she stared down at herself in surprise. The androgynous protoform body had changed to a distinctly more feminine appearance. Now black and silver in color, she was also slightly more… Well, curvaceous wouldn't be the right word, as there was little on a Transformer that was actually curved, but she had more of a feminine structure to her. Looking up at Starscream (who towered over her by more than twenty feet), she couldn't help but smile in awe. "Wow…"

"See?" Starscream smirked, looking her over appreciatively. "Being a femme is far better than being a squishy female."

The smile fading, she looked uncertain for a moment, finally forcing the smile back on her faceplates as she looked back up at Starscream. "Um… Starscream? How did you get your name?"

Starscream regarded her strangely for a few moments before turning to walk lightly across the rooftop. "My first flight," he explained at length. "Unlike you and the other two, I am a seeker. On my first flight, I soared up to the stars and screamed in exhilaration. Flying is a freedom and a power you earth-crawlers could never understand."

Kaley smiled as she followed him, moving up to his side. "You said the three of us were going to get new names… Have you thought of one for me yet?"

Looking down at her, he scrutinized her closely for a moment before replying, "Magnesia."

"Magnesia?" She had to jog to keep up with him, her swift, light footsteps making little noise on the rooftop of the abandoned warehouse. "What does it mean?"

"A modification of the metal known as magnesium, known for the best strength-to-weight ratio among common human structural metals," Starscream prattled off with slight impatience, giving her a look that plainly said she should be learning how to look this up for herself on the World Wide Web. "You are small, but strong. Your ability to move beyond what you were and embrace what you've become is significant. The others do not learn as fast as you do."

Pausing, he turned to face her and noticed her gaze turned elsewhere. Growling deeply, he rumbled, "Am I boring you, Magnesia?"

Jumping, she turned back to him sheepishly. "N-no, not at all… I just thought… I sensed something." Turning her gaze away again, she shifted uncertainly. "It feels like you do…"

Frowning, Starscream took a step toward the direction she was facing, casting his scanners out. "I sense nothing."

"It's moving…" she murmured softly, pointing a finger. "…There. It's headed this way."

"What do you mean, 'it feels like I do'?" Starscream snapped impatiently, pulling her away from the edge of the building.

"The… energy. I don't know how to describe it. Energy like yours."

"A spark signature…?" Starscream wondered. "Stay here, Magnesia, and _stay out of sight._" Shifting into jet form, with a roar of his engines he took off into the night toward where she felt the other… _Spark signature?_ she wondered, crouching down at the edge of the building to wait for his return.

~*~*~

//_Bumblebee to Optimus!_//

//_Report, Bumblebee. What is the matter?_//

//_Visual confirmation on Starscream, sir. He just passed by overhead. I don't think he noticed me._//

//_Do not engage, Bumblebee. Can you tell where he is going?_//

//_I think he's patrolling, sir. I only just heard his engines a moment ago. Considering I can still hear him, it's easy to surmise he only just took off._//

//_Find out where he came from, if you can. Be careful, and report if he discovers your presence. Ratchet and I are on our way._//

//_Yes, sir. Bumblebee out._//

Keeping an optic out for Starscream's return, Bumblebee turned and headed in the direction the F22 had come from. Knowing he would have to risk exposure, he transformed to his bipedal form and carefully climbed up a derelict apartment building, looking around for signs of scorch or claw marks on the roofs of the nearby structures.

He didn't expect to find himself being stared at by a pair of aquamarine-colored optics glowing from the shadows of a warehouse.

Shuttering his optics to night vision, he made out the form of a small mech… _Femme,_ he corrected himself in awe… huddled down in fright and staring straight at him.

//_Optimus…_// Sending the Autobot leader a visual link to what he was seeing, he murmured softly, //_Permission to approach?_//

After a long pause, Optimus replied in a gentle voice, //_Granted. Be careful._//

Walking to the edge of the apartment building, he looked down at the frightened femme and held out his hands in a gesture of harmlessness. "_It's all right_," he spoke softly in Cybertronian. "_I'm not here to harm you._"

"Who are you…?" the femme whispered in English, momentarily surprising Bumblebee.

"Autobot designation: Bumblebee," he replied in kind, confused. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your designation?"

"Ka- I mean… Magnesia. My name is Magnesia." Slowly rising to her feet, she cautiously approached the other mech, staring at him in awe. He was significantly shorter than Starscream… She herself was only thirteen feet tall (_Only?_), and he was a few feet taller than her. Raising a hand, she gently touched his chin, her optics fully dilated. "Somehow… I never imagined there would be others. Bumblebee?" Giggling softly, her head tilted to one side. "Cute name for a rob- uh, mech."

Bumblebee shuffled slightly on his feet, embarrassed. "It is not _cute_," he replied defensively, folding his arms and trying to look tough, his antennae flicking back. "I am called Bumblebee because I am fast and energetic. And usually yellow," he added as an afterthought, glancing down at his altered coloring due to his altered car mode. He scrutinized her closely as she giggled again and folded her arms behind her back. "You didn't think there were more of us?"

"Well… Starscream said you were a dying race… I've never seen any others, so I guess I just kind of figured he was the last one. I'm glad I was wrong. It must be lonely."

Bumblebee went very still as he stared at Magnesia. "Wait… You're a _Decepticon_?"

"A _what_?" Magnesia looked at him in confusion. "I… I don't know. Is that bad?"

"I am an Autobot," Bumblebee explained, keeping his voice low. "Starscream is a Decepticon. We're two differing factions."

"Oh… Like Democrats and Republicans?"

"Like… No, no, not at all." _Why is she using human references?_ "Not unless the Democrats and Republicans are warring factions."

"Warring?" Magnesia stared at him in horror. "Your race is _dying_, and you're fighting in a _war_ with yourselves?"

When she put it that way, Bumblebee almost felt ashamed. "The Decepticons started the war," he replied defensively. "They want to conquer and destroy. The Autobots strive for a peaceful existence, but we can't have that as long as the Decepticons strive to hurt others." Giving her another strange look, he placed his hands on his hips. "Why do you refer to us as if you are not a part of it? Moreover, why don't you _know_ about us? How long has it been since you were sparked?"

"Since I was… _what_?" Magnesia crouched down slowly, holding her head in her hands. "You mean, how long I've been… Two weeks now," she replied hesitantly, looking back up at him. "I just… It's hard to adapt to the change."

"The change?" Bumblebee inquired, but never got a chance to hear her answer. He barely got time to leap out of the way as Starscream launched a missile right where he'd been standing, the blast sending Magnesia rolling away with a scream. Battle mask slamming into place, Bumblebee charged his cannon and aimed it right at the massive form of Starscream as he transformed, landing between Magnesia and Bumblebee with an enraged roar, claws splayed.

Magnesia slowly climbed to her feet, staring in shock as Bumblebee and Starscream began wrestling right there on the rooftop, screaming and snarling at one another. Pressing herself back against the wall around the stairwell, she watched with horror as the much-smaller Bumblebee, while quite a bit faster than Starscream, was hindered by the limited space on the rooftop and had little room to dodge Starscream's massive fists. His cannons seemed to be doing little against Starscream's armor, and Starscream was quickly starting to back him toward the edge of the roof.

"S-stop…" Magnesia whimpered, holding a shaking hand out pleadingly. "Starscream…" But the behemoth didn't hear her, too intent on his prey. A well-aimed shot from one of Starscream's arm cannons knocked Bumblebee off his feet and sent him rolling until his back hit the concrete edge of the roof. He struggled to regain his footing as Starscream advanced, snarling something in that strange language of theirs. Mustering what courage she could find, she tore herself away from the wall and ran forward as fast as her legs would take her, throwing herself in front of Bumblebee with her arms outstretched. "Starscream, PLEASE STOP!"

Immediately Starscream's cannons were aimed point-blank at her face. "Get _out of the way_, foolish femme!"

"Please, Starscream! He wasn't doing anything to me! Please don't hurt him!" Her arms slowly sank back to her sides as she stared into the massive cannon, then up into Starscream's crimson optics, slowly sinking to her knees. "Please… You said your race is dying… Why kill him? Why kill another of your own kind?"

"He is an Autobot," Starscream spat. "They are our _enemy_, Magnesia!"

Bumblebee slowly rose to a kneeling position, coughing hoarsely. "Magnesia… Move out of the way… This is not your fight." As she glanced over her shoulder at him, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"_Don't touch her!_" Starscream roared, immediately stomping forward to swipe out with his claws, leaning over Magnesia to swat Bumblebee clear off the roof as the femme fell to her knees and covered her head, screaming. Angrily snatching her up in one clawed hand, he ran to the edge of the roof and tossed her up into the air, transforming in mid-leap to catch her in his cockpit, taking off into the sky.

Bumblebee slowly got up as he heard the sound of the departing engine, one hand to his badly injured chassis. Staring off after them, he hissed a sigh out his vents. _//Bumblebee to Optimus… Starscream returned as I was talking with her. He took her away.//_

_//So she was a Decepticon?//_ Optimus asked quietly.

_//No…She's just a sparkling, Optimus. She doesn't know what she is.//

* * *

_

A/N - Oh Starscream, you're such a protective daddy.

Well guys, at this point we're starting to get deeper into the midst of the plot, and I figure it's a good time to sit back and wait for some feedback, to see if there's even enough interest to continue posting. Thanks for reading!

Starfire201 - Hmm, I never noticed that myself, but you're right. Nico is kind of like Sideways - always scheming. Kavick's just an enigma.


	6. Decepticons 101

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Six: Decepticons 101

* * *

"How long are you going to keep doing that?" Nicodemus muttered, glowing white optics watching as the other mech practiced aiming with his arm cannons. "You've been at it for hours now."

"Until my accuracy improves," Kavick grumbled in reply, launching another shot at one of the painted targets on the wall. With his cannons on the lowest setting, they barely left a scorch mark. "You could do with some practice yourself."

"Says the one who keeps getting his ass whooped by my blades. I'm too fast for you to even shoot me half the time." The ten foot black mech folded his arms, quirking a brow ridge. He had rather unique markings: thin strips of glowing white accents along his black armor, the glow which could be extinguished at will so the mech could blend perfectly with the shadows.

Kavick issued a metallic snort. "I'd like to see you dodge a shot from my sniper rifle. You've had training with your swords. The fact that they extend from beneath your wrists now doesn't really change your style. I've had training with my rifle – but nothing I was taught about firearms teaches me how to use fucking _arm cannons._" Firing off one last shot, the silver and purple-accented mech powered down his arm cannon and let it withdraw back into his arm. "…Why are we doing this?"

"Because Starscream told us to," Nicodemus shrugged.

"And why are we taking orders from our kidnapper? The mad scientist that created us?"

"What other choice do we have?" Nimbly leaping down off the crates, he walked over to join the twenty-nine and a half foot tall mech, craning his head back to stare up at him. "Say we escape. Where will we go? What will we do? Mankind won't understand what's happened to us. We'll be experimented on all over again." Lifting a clawed hand to his almost effeminate chassis, his white eyes dimmed. "…I don't know about you, but… They can't fix me."

"What he did to you is beyond fucked up," Kavick sighed, kneeling down on one knee simply because he didn't want to have to look down at the smaller mech so much. "Kaley too, but… I don't think she knows what Starscream did to her."

"Only three of us lived… Three out of one hundred people." Nicodemus shook his head slowly. "Sickening odds… But think if he decides to do this to more people. Considering how fast the human population grows… The possibilities are limitless."

Kavick hissed softly. "He needs to be stopped." As Nicodemus began opening his mouthpiece to reply, Kavick abruptly held up a clawed hand, glancing away. "Quiet. He's back."

~*~*~

Magnesia mewled in terror as she lay curled up in Starscream's cockpit, almost not having enough room. Starscream had informed her how to take the protective pod form, which she used now. It was strangely comforting, curled up in her personal cocoon. Finally, it seemed they had stopped moving, and Starscream ordered her gruffly, "Get out."

Shifting and unfolding, she meekly climbed out of his open cockpit and hopped to the ground, staring up at him as he shifted back to bipedal form. "I'm sorry…" she whispered meekly, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to make you angry."

"Angry? I'm furious!" Slamming his taloned hands down on either side of the femme, his sharp teeth bared at her face in a snarl. "I _told you_ to stay out of sight!"

"I-I did…!" Magnesia squeaked in terror, huddling down. "I thought I did… But he still saw me…"

"And you did not contact me _why_?" Starscream demanded, grabbing her around the waist and hefting her up to eye level.

"I…" Pausing in surprise, she replied sheepishly, "I forgot… But I didn't think I was in danger… He only seemed curious…" Hunkering down in Starscream's grasp, she hesitantly reached out to touch his cheek ridge with her fingertips. "I'm sorry…"

Starscream stared at her blankly as she touched him, finally issuing a metallic grunt as he reached up to place her on his shoulder, where she sat and gently held onto one of his wings. "Too many lessons I need to teach the three of you before you are to be left alone outside. Rule number one, Magnesia: Autobots are the enemy. Beware the blue optics."

"Yes sir," she sighed unhappily, letting her head rest against his as they headed toward the training room where they had left Kavick and Nicodemus.

* * *

A/N - Really short chapter, but still kind of testing the waters, as this fic doesn't seem all that popular... but I know that's often how stories with original characters go.

Please review!

Starfire201 - No worries, I won't delete the story. I'll keep uploading what I've already written - it's just a matter of whether or not I'll be working to complete it. But thank you so much for your continued reviews. They never fail to put a smile on my face. :) You're right about the Autobots. They'll be making a bigger appearance next chapter... and they're not going to be happy at all.

Mutant Leprechaun - Thank you very much! Yeah, Starscream tries to act big and tough, but he really is a bit of a softie inside... There's a bit of madness to his obsessive protection though, as we'll see in later chapters.


	7. Emotional Malfunctions

Title: Rebirth

Chapter Seven: Emotional Malfunctions

* * *

"Teal is SO not your color."

Bumblebee blinked his optics at Sam as he arrived back on base, emitting a burst of electronic noise that sounded suspiciously like a raspberry, hands on his hips. Sam, grinning from ear to ear, went up and slung an arm around the scout's calf.

"Missed you too, buddy."

Optimus watched the reunion, a smile tugging at his faceplates. As Ratchet and Ironhide filed into the room, the CMO ran a scan on Bumblebee and immediately scowled. "After your report, you're coming with me to the medbay."

Bumblebee saluted Ratchet and gently eased himself away from Sam's grasp, placing a finger to the side of his head. Sidling up next to Mikaela, Sam watched as the world around them changed into the holographic projection of the industrial side of Mission City. From the way the world moved, they could tell it was from Bumblebee's point of view as he drove through the city streets.

They watched as Bumblebee spotted the small femme after his ascent to the top of the apartment building, and listened as he spoke with her. Sam and Mikaela both jumped out of their socks at Starscream's appearance, and flinched sympathetically as the smaller mech got his aft handed to him. The video feed ended as Bumblebee fell from the building and watched Starscream fly up, tossing the small femme up into the air and catching her in his cockpit, flying away at top speed.

"Wow," Sam breathed as the world returned around them. "I didn't know there were girl robots!"

"Mechs, Sam," Mikaela corrected with a roll of her eyes.

"Female autonomous robotic organisms are extremely rare," Ratchet explained, arms folded pensively. "They were few in number before Megatron hunted them down. Now, barely a handful remain. We call them 'femmes'."

"Why would Megatron hunt down the females?" Sam asked, eyes wide. "I mean... You kind of need them to keep the race going, don't you?"

Ratchet sighed, looking away. "Cybertronians are made in two ways. One is by means of the AllSpark... The other is through a spark-bond. Spark-bonds can be formed between either gender, but a sparkling is usually created within a femme, whose bodies are specifically made to be able to carry a sparkling. They're more energy-efficient than mechs. A mech can create and carry a sparkling... Unfortunately, the sparkling will not survive in most cases. I'll tell you more about it later, but right now I'm more concerned about this femme, Magnesia."

"Technically she's a sparkling," Optimus murmured, optics half-shuttered. "But I've never heard of a sparkling of her age being anywhere near as mature, physically or mentally, as Magnesia is."

"We need to get her out of Starscream's clutches," Ironhide growled. "Nothing good can come from being raised under a mech like that slaggard."

The medic threw up his hands in frustration. "How did he get his hands on her anyway? She knows more of human culture than Cybertronian... She couldn't have been made by the AllSpark, or we would have known."

Mikaela bit her lip thoughtfully, arms folded over her middle. "He was really protective of her... Starscream, I mean." As the mechs turned to focus their attention on her, she continued, "Is there a chance that she's his?"

Bumblebee shrugged and warbled at the other mechs. Ratchet and Optimus looked thoughtful while Ironhide scoffed - loudly.

"Couldn't be. Sparkling her age would be far smaller and less developed. Even on the chance Starscream had managed to carry a sparkling to term, there's no way she could function as well as she can now. She even has an alt mode."

"Well, what about the disappearances? Do you think this might be linked to Starscream? Humans go missing, a femme shows up out of nowhere, barely-sparked, and refers to Autobots and Decepticons as Democrats and Republicans? Plus... did you catch what she said when Bumblebee asked her for her name? She almost replied with something else, and she mentioned her 'sparking' as a 'change'."

All eyes turned toward Mikaela, stunned.

"We need to get in contact with Magnesia," Optimus stated, horror creeping into his optics.

*~*~*

"I'm never going to get used to this…" Kavick muttered, holding still as Starscream directly connected with him and was uploading files into his CPU. "It's like something out of the Matrix… Just plug me in and download whatever I need to know into my brain, and suddenly I know things that would take me weeks or months to learn otherwise…"

Starscream scoffed derisively, withdrawing the portlink from Kavick's head. "It's just one of the many things that make you better than the weak little fleshling you once were."

"Ooh!" Shadowstrike, formerly known as Nicodemus, stepped forward with his white eyes glowing brightly. "Then you can teach me drunken boxing! I'd love to learn drunken boxing!"

Growling in irritation, Starscream brushed past the small androgynous mech. "I have no time for your stupid games, Shadowstrike. Be prepared – We'll be having visitors soon. You will all be on your best behavior, understood?"

"Visitors?" Magnesia leaned over from where she was perched atop a large stack of empty cages. "Other mechs?"

"My wingmates," Starscream lifted his chin arrogantly, casting his crimson gaze around the three sparklings. "Skywarp and Thundercracker. They answer to me, but you will answer to them. Anything they tell you to do you are to perform immediately and without question, as you _should_ do with me." He scrutinized the group for a moment, then growled, "You will need the symbol of your alliance painted on your armor as well."

"The Decepticon sigil?" Shadowstrike put his hands on his hips. "The one that looks like an angry cat?"

"A mark you should wear proudly," Starscream snarled, glaring over his shoulder at the far smaller mech.

Shadowstrike put up his hands in surrender, optics wide. "Sorry, sir. Didn't mean to offend."

Mollified by the respectful title, Starscream turned to head out of the abandoned warehouse. Magnesia nimbly jumped off the stack of crates she'd been sitting on and made her way to the others. "What do you think they'll be like? Starscream said they were his wingmates… Maybe they're like him?"

"I hope not!" Shadowstrike muttered, folding his arms and shifting his weight to one leg. "One Starscream is enough…" Kavick grunted his agreement, but Magnesia frowned at the pair, bristling slightly.

"What's wrong with Starscream? I like him!"

"After what he did to us?" Kavick narrowed his amethyst optics at her, a low rumbling growl rising in his chest. "You're not developing Stockholm Syndrome, are you?"

Magnesia looked insulted, narrowing her cerulean optics. "What, so I'm expected to just hate him for trying to save his race? Personally I'm glad I met him, and I'm glad I'm here with him instead of being back where I used to be!" Spinning around, she headed out after Starscream, shaking her head in disbelief.

Shadowstrike and Kavick shared a look. "Definitely Stockholm," Shadowstrike muttered as Kavick shook his head slowly.

It didn't take Magnesia long before she located Starscream just outside the warehouse, climbing up onto the roof to stand beside him as he gazed up toward the stars. They stood in silence for several long moments, neither speaking nor looking at one another, until Magnesia let her form gently rest against Starscream's birdlike leg. He broke his gaze from the stars to look down at her with a slight frown, head tilted.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Magnesia turned her optics up to look at him, her cheek resting on his knee.

"Touch me. Whenever you are around me you can never seem to resist touching me. It's highly unnecessary."

Magnesia's eyes flared with embarrassment, gently withdrawing from his side. "I'm sorry… It just… It's comforting."

Starscream stared at her blankly for several long moments, his optics twitching as something shorted out briefly in his logic processors. He'd been called many, many things… but 'comforting' was definitely not one of them. "Are you malfunctioning?"

"Huh?" She blinked at him in confusion and worry. "I don't know… Am I?"

Heaving a sigh from his vents to cool his overworked central processing unit, Starscream kneeled down to her side, using one clawed hand to tilt her head. "Hold still…" Sliding a cable hook-up from his wrist, he gently inserted it into her neck and connected with her, scanning over her processor. A few moments later he withdrew with a grunt. "You're fine… Probably a human compulsion."

"Do your kind not touch?" Magnesia rubbed her neck port, trying to dispel the remaining tingle.

"Aside from trying to hurt or repair one another? No. Unless you're spark-bonded, but in general we just don't touch. Our metal isn't as sensitive as human flesh."

"Oh…" Folding her arms pensively, she looked up at him, head tilted. "So how do you show affection?"

Starscream scoffed. "By not attacking one another with the intent to kill?"

Magnesia stared at him in disbelief. "Is that how you were programmed? How the Decepticons were programmed? Just to hurt and kill others?"

"It has nothing to do with programming, foolish femme." Starscream was starting to get irritated by this point, growling lowly. "It's just the way Decepticons work. We're a violent, rowdy bunch by nature. We are natural-sparked warriors, unlike the Autobots, who are mostly made up of pacifists."

"I'm a pacifist," Magnesia pointed out timidly. "Shouldn't I be an Autobot then?"

It happened so quickly, all Magnesia could think to do was crouch down with her arms over her head and shriek as both Starscream's massive clawed hands slammed into the rooftop at her sides and he let out a roar of rage, crimson optics flaring brightly. She screamed again as his claws wrapped around her and he lifted her into the air, squeezing. Red warnings flashed across her mind as she felt her armor buckling beneath his strength, sparking at the joints as her metal flesh groaned and crumpled.

Starscream shook the femme and snarled at her, "No creation of mine will _ever_ be Autobot! Do you understand me, Magnesia? I will sooner deactivate you than see you as one of them! _Answer me!_ Do you understand me!?"

"Yes!" Magnesia gasped, crying out desperately, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!"

~*~*~

"_You have failed me yet again, Starscream…"_

"_I didn't… I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! Please, Lord Megatron! AAAAAAAUGH!"_

~*~*~

Starscream stared down at Magnesia, watching the small femme hang limply in his grasp, mewling in terror, her bright blue eyes staring up at him pleadingly. Seconds ticked by, and finally he snapped out of his daze, setting her down on the ground as he crouched in front of her. "Hold still…" he muttered under his breath, his hand transforming into medical tools, beginning to repair the damage he'd done to his experiment.

Magnesia's vents were running overtime, and she couldn't quite seem to stop trembling even after her growled at her half-heartedly to stop. Wincing painfully as a suctioning tool popped out each of the dents in turn (it felt like someone prodding a bruise), the silence stretched on for several minutes before she whispered, "I'm sorry, Starscream… I didn't mean to make you angry… Please forgive me?"

"You're forgiven," he muttered absently, popping her joints back into place and unkinking damaged oil and lubricant lines. He didn't apologize for his gross lack of control… They were his creations, he could treat them however he pleased. When he'd finished, she surprised him by meekly crawling up into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and tucking her small face beneath his chin.

With a sigh, he placed one clawed hand at her back to hold her there as he slipped back inside, ignoring the amethyst optics staring at him with resentment. When he'd departed, Kavick turned to see Shadowstrike detaching himself from the darkness of the warehouse, slowly approaching him with a grim look on his androgynous features.

"We have to get out of here, Kavick… For her sake if nothing else," Shadowstrike murmured quietly. "We're not safe here."

"The moment an opportunity presents itself," Kavick muttered, "we will."

* * *

A/N - Looks like interest is growing in this fic. Hee... Makes me happy. Please review before you go!

Kitsune Swift - Hehe sshh! It's a secret. It's something that'll come out later in the story, I promise.

Shroxx - Thank you! Yeah, Starscream always struck me as having the potential to make an awesome mad scientist, and very possessive over his work. I'm glad you approve!

Starfire201 - Things are going to be heating up for ol' Screamer in the next chapter. I like sewing the seeds of discontent, even between the creations.

Jovianokamigirl - Yeah, but you can't really blame 'em. Starscream's not the nicest person. :)

WingsofStardust - Thank you! I'm glad I was able to make something unique. It's not the easiest thing to do in a multiple-universe fandom. o.o

UndeadHarlot - I think it's adorable too. :) It's fun showing glimpses of Starscream's inner softie... right before he goes back to being a badass.


End file.
